A mother-daughter duo from Boulder will take a trip back to the early 1900s this weekend, complete with long skirts and a race route used by cyclists as long ago as the 1890s.

Mother Dana Patten and daughter Molly Patten will ride the L'Eroica Junction to Glenwood Vintage Bicycle Race, a tribute to the cyclists of the early 1900s who rode 102 miles from Grand Junction to Glenwood Springs on single speed bikes.

The race, founded three years ago by Grand Junction's Chris Brown, combines the early 1900 training ride with Italian retro bike race, the L'Eroica.

The cyclist who accumulates the most vintage points throughout the race wins -- it's not really about who's fastest, said Brown. Points are awarded for vintage attire, bikes, gear and even food, he said.

Brown owns Brown Cycles in Grand Junction, and became fascinated by local cycling history a few years ago. He began interviewing old bike shop owners, collecting photographs and documenting stories he heard about Colorado's cycling past. The race is a "walk in time," Brown said.

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Wearing their wool jerseys and knickers out alone on the 90 miles of pavement and 12 miles of dirt road, he said, cyclists spend a lot of time thinking about those who came before them in the sport.

"You really think about you're doing," he said. "Breathing the same air, walking the same steps and following the same trail, and for a few minutes you get to live like your great grandfather. There aren't a lot of opportunities to do that."

Dana Patten, left, and Molly Patten test out their tandem bike after making some adjustments in Boulder. The two are preparing for the L Eroica Junction to Glenwood Vintage Bicycle Race this weekend. (Courtesy photo)

The Patten ladies will be riding a modern tandem bike but plan to wear long skirts and blouses to fit the time period. Mom Dana, who turns 54 this weekend, planned to wear knickers until she found a brown plaid skirt at a thrift shop, she said.

They're learning how to share the captain, or front rider position, on the tandem bike. Usually, mom is in charge, Dana said.

"I'm the mom, so I get to be the bossy one," she said, laughing.

The Patten family has always been a cycling family. Older siblings Ellen and Brae Patten race competitively, and dad Tim Patten rides, too. Tim and Dana met on Ride the Rockies 24 years ago, so cycling has always been part of their lives together.

Molly, a 17-year-old Boulder High junior, is more into competitive trail riding and endurance riding on her horse than on her bike. But she says she enjoys spending time with her mom training for the 102-mile ride. Unlike some teenagers, said she's not even a little bit embarrassed to wear clothes mimicking the 1900s and ride a tandem bike with her mom.

And, even though spending 102 miles together on a bike might put little strain on their relationship, the teamwork creates great memories.

"It's just a great way, a different way to be together and talk about things maybe you wouldn't, and just enjoying being out there," Dana said.

Riding single speed bikes with wool jerseys gives cyclists a greater appreciation for what their ancestors did, Brown said, and often makes them more appreciative of today's luxuries.

"It does a lot of strange things," Brown said. "If you give these people these photos and stories and send them out on their own without any cell phone or cameras, you start to think about those guys. If you dumb down your technology and ride an old antique bike, you start to develop an appreciation for what they used to do and how hearty they were."

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